Healthy Handout

[dinger]

I have read in the news today mums who will be giving birth after April are being urged to apply for the Health in Pregnancy Grant of £190. to buy fruit and veg from week 25 of pregnancy . This money will be paid straight into their accounts. I have no objections to new mums having this as I agree they should eat healthy but I do doubt in a lot of cases it will not be spent in this way . I believe it should be stated on a voucher it is for these items What are your views on this.

For details go to direct.gov.uk/money4mums2be

[franbee]

Hmmm, can't believe that a lot of mums will spend the money on staying healthy, possibly the opposite, or am I just an old cynic?

[Gentian]

I think all hand outs by the government should be in the form of vouchers then it would be used for what it is intended

[franbee]

I agree gentian, certainly the spectacle voucher scheme seems to work well. The vouchers could be specifically for fruit and veg, to be used in any store. Who remembers the butter vouchers given out to pensioners in the 1970's when there was an EU butter mountain? I used to hand them out when I worked at the Post Office. They got one per pension book.

[cindy]

One wonders where the money to fund the scheme is coming from, poor old taxpayers again. Sorry, I just get fed up with all the grants and handouts. We should all be responsible for our own lives and what we eat.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

Vouchers redeemable at any number of outlets for the exact product named is the only way to go. In America they have "Food Coupons" issued to very low income families and these can only be redeemed for what they say on the coupon, eg. milk, meat, vegetables etc.

[dinger]

I just think a big ammount of this money will be squandered on other things and not what it is intended to buy. It seems to me although we are now hitting hard times different ways to give money away on seemingly things before never thought of previously keep cropping up. I do not in any way grudge new mums anything to help with raising a family if it is used for what it is being given .I say good luck to them.

[Firefly]

I wouldn't have thought this will make a lot of difference as if they are not buying much fruit and veg already and eating healthily they are not going to change just because they receive this handout. I would rather see more money going into the heating grants for the elderly.

[Oola]

by the way, link in original post doesn't work :)

You can find more info here:

http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/money4mum2be/

[dragonfly]

I heard today that pregnant mums are going to be paid to not smoke while they are pregnant. If the will to have a healthy baby is not enough incentive then I don't think £100 will work.

[Gentian]

Will they pay non smoking pregnant ladies this money?

[Gentian]

I'm also apalled at the amount os student grant which ends up in the till of the Uni bar

[dinger]

I agree and it is all just getting more and more ridiculous .

[jazzactivist]

I agree with some of the comments here, that this latest 'parental incentive' is unecessary. Parents now receive a lot of public assistance when you add together all the tax breaks, parental leave, child benefit, free nursery and schooling, medical care etc. Having children is a personal choice, and one that parents should expect to cost a large amount of money and time, plus involve making the effort to change to a healthier lifestyle to ensure the future health and welfare of their own children. I can't see anything wrong with expecting parents to eat healthily, stop smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, and give everything possible to their children to help them on their way through life - all at the parents' own cost. The rest of us, of course, have a role in contributing to ensuring that all children can receive a good general education, care and support to develop, and to live safely, but beyond this it is their parents' own responsibility.

[mrsj]

We worked out that if I had never worked, whilst pregnant I could have got around £3000 and that doesn't even count the free housing etc that people get on benefits. As it was I had free prescriptions - but they are all free in Wales anyway and Pip has his £250 voucher to invest for when he's 18. I did get maternity pay but having worked since I was 17 I felt I had earned it! And that was it! And I pay for his nursery place and work part time now. These handouts make me sick when people contribute nothing to society.